Sub tragic ear unit

ABSTRACT

A sub-tragus ear unit for comfortable wear of an in-ear ear unit is provided. The sub-tragus ear unit achieves the technical effect by separating the earphone from the attachment functionality that is provided by a separate anchor, wherein the earphone is attached to said anchor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a system for removable ear attachment ingeneral and in particular a sub-tragus ear unit for comfortableattachment of an ear unit.

BACKGROUND ART

Microphone/earpiece combinations, wireless or attached by wire, totelephones, music systems, switchboards etc. are well known. A widevariety of solutions exist.

One solution is known as the “in-ear” solution, wherein the soundemitting device, also known as a hearing element enters the ear canal.Typically a housing unit comprising a hearing element is positionedinside the concha and within the tragus and anti tragus, while a funnelducts the sound into the ear canal. Frequently the funnel is providedwith a gasket having flanges to dampen ambient sounds. Typically suchdevices use the ear canal for attachment While the solution is compact,removes ambient sound efficiently and also allows for good audiofidelity it suffers from the disadvantage of being uncomfortable due topressure exerted on the pressure sensitive ear canal.

Another solution is the “on ear” solution, wherein the hearing elementis held against the ear having a concha. This geometry allows for a widehearing element to be placed flat against the concha Unlike the in earsolution, this solution requires a separate means for holding thehearing element in position over the concha and several such means arewell known in the art, such as over-head attachment, headband andover-ear attachment. This solution is simple but suffers from long termdiscomfort due to pressure exerted on the ear by the means for holding.There can also be problems with ambient sound entering the ear unless asound absorbing cushion is used that encloses the ears fully bringing inother disadvantages such as large size.

A third solution is the “ear bud” solution where a housing unitcomprising a hearing element is positioned inside the concha and held inplace by tragus and anti tragus, in this way the housing unit also formsthe means for holding the hearing element in place. While compact thedisadvantage is discomfort due to pressure exerted on the tragus andanti tragus and also that it is difficult to exclude ambient sounds Ifthe pressure against the tragus and anti tragus is reduced the ear budthen is rather loose and can easily fall out.

A fourth solution is proposed by the present applicant as disclosed inWO/2002/045390 relating to an earpiece having a C-shape andWO/2008/147215 relating to an improved earpiece having a curve and acurvature. Both disclose comfortable means for stable attachment to ananti helix of an ear. The former discloses an open solution that allowsthe auditory canal to remain open to the surroundings to a certaindegree, which provides better comfort than a unit that blocks or closesoff the auditory canal. This provides air circulation at the expense ofadmitting ambient sounds.

For the fifth solution one should refer to in-ear speakers as disclosedin WO/2009/143055 where a hearing element is placed into the concha andfacing the tragus, perpendicular to that of the on-ear solution. Theproblem is stable positioning of the hearing element and discomfortrelating to the edge of the hearing element is pressed against the innerwall of the concha when positioned in the ear.

References should also be made to the following documents:

GB833506, relating to a plug for an ear canal, wherein the plug entersthe ear canal,

U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,453, relating to a concha stabiliser, wherein aheadset comprises a tubular extension or a voice tube extending down andtowards a user s mouth.

WO2004/068896, relating to an ambidextrous ear piece having a D-shapecomprising an arcuate rib and a vertical rib, wherein the earpiece isprovided with a boss that fits a wearer's ear canal,

WO03/096745, relating to a crescent shaped hearing enhancement aid,wherein all figures clearly show the crescent shaped device is retractedwell away from the tragus,

U.S. Pat. No. 3,053,061, relating to inserts which are individuallymolded and sculptured to fit into ears of a user,

FR2437802, relating to ear attachment for earrings,

DE8911607 U1, relating to ear attachment, and

DE10117705, relating to a sound dampening device for use with ear units.

BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

Therefore, a main objective of the present invention is to provide asystem for a compact and comfortable solution having an improvedattachment that does not cause discomfort in the ear canal and is alsocapable of excluding ambient sound

Means for Solving the Problems

The objective is achieved according to the invention by an ear unit asdefined in the preamble of claim 1, having the features of thecharacterising portion of claim 1.

The objective is also achieved according to the invention by a loadbearing anchor as defined in the preamble of claim 5, having thefeatures of the characterising portion of claim 5.

The present invention attains the above-described objective byseparating the attachment transducer and optionally occlusionfunctionalities into two distinct parts:

-   an anchor that provides stable attachment relative to an ear and-   an hearing element connected to said anchor and that comprises the    transducer which provides sound, wherein the hearing element is    provided with an aperture which when the ear unit is positioned into    an ear having a concha and a tragus, the aperture enters a    sub-tragus region, thus projecting the sound into the sub-tragus    region.

The aperture can be an opening by the hearing element.

The hearing element can be further be provided with an audio duct havingan audio duct opening in which case the aperture is said audio ductopening.

Optionally the hearing element provides an occlusion.

Optionally the occlusion can be perforated with holes that are largeenough to admit diffusion of air yet small enough to prevent soundpropagation.

The present invention attains the above-described objective by a loadbearing anchor for stable fitting to an ear having an antihelix and atragus, comprising a curve having an upper end and a lower end whereinparts of the curve falls along the inner part of the antihelix, whereinthe lower end extends into an extended lower end which is partlypositioned under the tragus, preventing the distortion of the concha bykeeping the antihelix at a substantially constant distance from thetragus when the anchor is positioned into the ear and a force is appliedto the anchor in the direction of the intertragic notch.

Effects of the Invention

-   The technical differences over prior art is that a sub-tragus system    is provided wherein the attachment is provided by an anchor and not    by any elements protruding into the ear canal.-   These effects provide in turn several further advantageous effects:    -   it makes it possible to avoid bulky holding means as for the        on-ear solutions and instead use light weight anchors such as        those of the fourth solution,    -   it avoids discomfort related to elements entering the ear canal,    -   it allows for a light weight structure,    -   it avoids discomfort relating to pressure exerted on the tragus        and anti tragus, and    -   it enables stable positioning in the ear without exerting        uncomfortable pressure against the concha.-   Optionally it also allows for further advantageous effects:    -   it allows for excluding ambient sound without use of a large        absorbing cushion around the ear, and    -   it allows for air circulation.-   The technical differences over prior art is that the anchor does not    fill the entire concha but instead comprises two branches, the first    branch falls along the inner part of the antihelix and the second    branch extends into an extended lower end which is partly positioned    under the tragus. Normally, when a force is applied to the concha in    the downward direction when a person is standing up, the concha will    deform slightly by elongating in the direction of the force and    narrowing in a direction perpendicular to said force, thus the    tragus and antitragus comes closer. However with the anchor    according to this invention inserted the two branches will resist    the narrowing. At the same time the force is distributed across a    large area.-   These effects provide in turn several further advantageous effects:    -   it make sit possible to use lighter and more unobtrusive means        for attachment,    -   it provides more comfort in that there is less deformation of        the ear    -   the reduced deformation allows for larger load bearing without        discomfort than means that permit deformation of the concha

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further described below in connection withexemplary embodiments which are schematically shown in the drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1A shows the anatomy of a human ear from the outside,

FIG. 1B shows a cross section the anatomy of a human ear along A-A,

FIG. 2A shows the operating principles of the present invention, with anear unit inserted into an ear as seen from the outside,

FIG. 2B shows the operating principles of the present invention in anintersection along A-A in a first embodiment.

FIG. 2C shows the operating principles of the present invention in anintersection along A-A in a second embodiment,

FIG. 3 and 4 show two preferred embodiments of the present invention,

FIG. 5A shows an improved load bearing anchor inserted into an earwherein the attachment part extends from the curve over the concha.

FIG. 5B shows the improved load bearing anchor of FIG. 5A close to theplane of the curve

FIG. 5C shows the improved load bearing anchor of FIG. 5C at a differentangle.

FIG. 6 shows a sound damping element attached to the load bearinganchor,

FIG. 7 shows an alternative use of a load bearing anchor wherein theattachment part extends from the curve through the intertragic notch,and

FIG. 8A and 8B shows a hearing unit in an un-occluded position and in anoccluded position respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE SIGNS

-   The following reference numbers and signs refer to the drawings:

10 Pinna 11 Helix 12 Crus of helix 13 Antihelix 14 Crura of antihelix 15Superior crux 16 Inferior crux 17 Fossa triangularis 18 Sulcus auriculaeposterior 21 Tragus 22 Antitragus 23 Incisura intertragica, intertragicnotch 24 Concha 25 Cymba concha 26 Cavum concha 27 Scapha 28 Sub-tragusregion 29 Tympanic membrane, eardrum 30 Ear canal 100 Ear unit 200Anchor 210 Curve 212 Upper end 214 Lower end 216 Extended lower end 218Curvature 300 Housing 350 Hearing element 352 Hearing element opening354 Audio duct 356 Audio duct opening 360 Electroacoustic element 370Gasket 372 Flanges 400 Part extending downwards 500 Attachment part 502Attachment arm 504 Attachment end 600 Sound damping element 610 Shell620 Connector to attachment part

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Anatomy of the Human Ear

In order to gain an understanding of the background of the invention itis important to know the anatomical details of the human ear, inparticular of the outer ear as shown in FIG. 1A. Outer ear 10, alsoknown as pinna comprises a plurality of features of significance.Outermost is helix 11 tracing the periphery of the ear upwards and intowards the skull where it transitions into crus of helix 12. Withinthis is antihelix 13 which in the upward direction bifurcates into cruraof antihelix 14, comprising superior crux 15 and inferior crux 16,separated by fossa triangularis 17. Below antihelix is sulcus auriculaeposterior 18 and further below that again is antitragus 22 which isopposite tragus 21, separated by incisura intertragica 23, also known asthe intertragic notch. Within these again is concha 24 which comprisescymba concha 25 and cavum concha 26, separated by crus of helix 12.

Immediately within and partially covered by the tragus is the entranceto the ear canal 30. It is important to realize that this entrance isstill a part of cavum concha. The ear canal proper extends from thedeepest part of the concha to the eardrum 29, a distance of about 2.5 cmand approximately 4 cm from the tragus. The ear canal comprises anapproximately 8 mm lateral cartilaginous part and an approximately 16 mmmedial osseous part. It should also be noted that it is typically quiteuncomfortable to have any foreign object in the ear canal The ear canalis partially visible from the outside and is indicated in FIG. 1A.

This area immediately within and partially covered by the tragus 21 doesnot have an official anatomical name Since this area is central to theinvention and has acoustic and other distinguishing properties relatingto comfortable wear it has been called the sub-tragus region 28 for thepurpose of this document and is shown in FIG. 1B. The ear canal 30 islocated below the sub-tragus region.

Principles Forming the Basis of the Invention

FIG. 2A shows the operating principles of the present invention, with anear unit inserted into an ear as seen from the outside A line A-Aindicates a section for FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C. The anchor 200 comprisesthe curve 210 having an upper end 212, a lower end 214 and a curvature218. Due to the angles it is not possible to clearly show all componentsof the anchor in all figures

The underlying principle is that by separating the anchoring function200 from the hearing element 350 it becomes possible to position thehearing element 350 in an optimal position without causing discomfort.By further positioning the hearing element so that it projects inunderneath the tragus 21 and enters the sub-tragus area 28, sound isdirected into the ear can at without the discomfort that is associatedwith having a foreign object entering the ear canal The hearing element350 is provided with a hearing element opening 352 where the opening oraperture faces the opening to the ear canal which extends from thesub-tragus area.

It should also be noted that the hearing element, enabled by theseparate anchoring, projects underneath the tragus. This can be achievedin several ways.

In a first embodiment a hearing element 350 in the form of an electroacoustic transducer 360 is positioned underneath the tragus Said hearingelement is dimensioned to fit in the sub-tragus region. FIG. 2B showsschematically the above construction.

In a second embodiment the hearing element 350 comprises an electroacoustic transducer 360 attached to an audio duct 354 provided with anaudio duct opening 356. As long as the audio duct is smaller than thewavelength of the sound, having a frequency of typically 20 Hz to 20000Hz, corresponding to a wavelength of 15 m to 15 mm respectively, soundis conducted without significant distortion and the effective aperturebecomes the opening of the audio duct.

This second embodiment allows for having the electro acoustic transducerlarger than that of the first embodiment by retracting it away from thetragus. Since the effective hearing element is the end of the funnel andthat this end projects into the sub-tragus region the technical effectis the same as for the first embodiment. FIG. 2C shows schematically theabove construction.

This second embodiment also allows for the electro acoustic transducerto be oriented at an angle that is not parallel to the plane of theaudio duct opening It is preferred that this audio duct opening isperpendicular to the entrance over the ear canal.

It should be noted that the on ear construction will involve structuresthat are of the order of the wavelength of high frequency sound,particularly relating to the size of the concha but potentially also ofthe hearing element according to the fifth solution.

In one embodiment the audio duct is not in contact with the concha orthe tragus. The separation distance will be small compared to thewavelength of the sound and this will therefore lead to a damping ofambient sound, depending on separation distance, length of the audioduct and acoustic impedance mismatch.

Best Modes of Carrying out the Invention

The embodiment of the ear unit according to the invention shown in FIG.3 and 4 composes an anchor Similar to the applicant s applications,specifically the C-shape as disclosed in WO/2002/045390, and theimproved earpiece having a curve 210 and a curvature 218 as disclosed inWO/2008/147215, the curve having an upper end 212 and a lower end 214. Ahearing element 350 in the form of an electro acoustic transducer 360formed as a part of a housing 300 which in turn is attached to saidanchor so that when the ear unit is positioned into an ear having aconcha and a tragus, the hearing element enters a sub-tragus region 28,where the concha 24 is covered by the tragus 21.

The hearing element 350 is further provided with a gasket 370 arrangedsubstantially around a periphery of the hearing element in order tofurther stabilise the position of the hearing element as well as provideextra damping of ambient sound. The gasket is preferably made from aresilient material that easily shapes itself to the anatomical detailsof the ear without exerting uncomfortable pressure Said gasket isfurther preferably detachable so that a user can remove it if it ispreferred to hear some ambient sound or to change between differentsizes and shapes to select the most comfortable size and shape Thegasket can comprise one or more flanges 372.

The housing 300 is the mechanical interface between the anchor 200 andthe hearing element 350 and is typically suited for holding electronics,wire attachments and the like.

While the anchor is shown in prior art as having a clearly defined lowerend: it is within the scope of the definition that the lower end can beembedded in a larger unit such as a housing part. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 bothshow such a larger part surrounding the lower end. Due to the angles itis not possible to clearly show all components of the anchor in allfigures.

Alternative Embodiments

A number of variations on the above can be envisaged. For instancedamping of ambient sound can be achieved by attaching a sound dampingunit 600 to the anchor. Said sound damping unit is positioned so thatwhen the ear unit is positioned into an ear the sound damping element islocated over the concha. This is shown in fig 6.

The sound damping element typically comprises a shell 610 and aconnector to attachment part 620 The attachment part is adapted forconnection to attachment end 504.

This solution avoids external means for attachment such as over-headattachment, headband and over-ear attachment.

The sound damping unit can be further stabilised by a part extendinginto fossa triangularis 17 and/or a part extending under the fold at thetop of helix 11.

Depending on the size and mass of the sound damping unit and expectedphysical activity of the user the anchor may be optimised for a largerload bearing capacity than disclosed in in WO/2002/045390 andWO/2008/147215. Prior art disclose a comfortable anchor for light weightapplications. Light weight in this context means a weight that is sosmall that the concha is insignificantly distorted when positioned intoan ear. The inventor has found that a larger weight can be supported ifthe anchor is modified to compensate or prevent said distortion. Theinventor found that a larger weight pulls the concha down in thedirection of gravity If the user is lying down the pressure is exertedon the anti helix and the curve will distribute the force over asufficiently large area to avoid this being a problem. If the user isstanding up right the force instead exerts in the direction of theintertragic notch. This would result in the concha being pulleddownwards and also narrowed so that the area near the tragus wouldapproach the area near the anti tragus.

The inventor has found that by extending the lower end 214 of the anchor200 further in the direction of the crus of helix 12 into an extendedlower end 216 the problem of distortion is overcome by distributing theforce over a wider area and also by countering the forces narrowing theconcha. At the same time it is found that the upper end of the anchordoes not have to project in underneath the flap covering the lower partof the cavity covered by the lower node of the antihelix of the ear.This is load bearing anchor is shown in FIG. 5B at an angle thathighlights an optional curvature 218 in the curve 210, offering improvedattachment FIG. 5A shows the load bearing anchor having a part extendingdownwards inserted into an ear while FIG. 5C shows an anchor having nopart extending downward

The load bearing capacity can be further improved by having the upperend of the anchor engage the anterior part of the helix and/or the crusof helix.

Such a construction has a wide range of application in addition toholding a sound damping element. It could for instance be used to holdear jewellery and avoid having to puncture the ear lobe for attachmentpurposes. Such jewellery can be so heavy that traditional ear attachmentwould be uncomfortable.

Attachments would typically be through an adaptor called attachment part500 connected at a first end to the curve, the housing or both andadapted for attachment to external units Typically the attachment partis provided with an attachment arm 502 to allow the attachment to beoffset at a distance from the concha. At a second end of the attachmentpart, typically opposite the first end of the attachment part, anattachment end 504 is provided Preferably this attachment end allows forguided attachment and/or detachment of external units while having theanchor still inserted in the ear.

In many cases the attachment part extends straight out from the areajust outside the concha Where further stability or load bearing capacityis required the attachment part extends through the intertragic notch,optionally contacting the intertragic notch.

A part extending out from the load bearing anchor would form aconvenient and hygienic attachment. In a preferred embodiment theattachment part would extend from the anchor through the intertragicnotch This is shown in FIG. 7.

Optionally the ear unit can be provided with a part extending downward400, providing room for battery, electronics, antennas or attachmentfacilities for wires. This also has the benefit of providing stabilityby lowering the centre of gravity. Preferably this part extendingdownwards passes through the intertragic notch and thus provides extrastability.

This pan extending part downward can also provide a convenient basis forthe attachment part.

The various solutions of prior have different properties in terms ofocclusion and the ability to exclude or include ambient sounds.

Type Description Occlusion 1 In-ear Very good 2a On-ear without cushionOpen 2b On-ear with cushion Quite good 3 Ear bud Good 4 C-shape Veryopen 5 Angled hearing element Open

It will be appreciated that occlusion in prior art is an inherentproperty of the design and is fixed with only very minor adjustmentssuch as providing ear buds with extra gaskets will improve the degree ofocclusion.

The inventors of the present invention has realised that by separatingattachment functionality to an anchor separated from the hearing elementit is possible to provide occlusion in a first inner position whereinthe hearing element occludes the opening to the ear canal, and beretracted relative to the anchor into a second position where a passageopens between the hearing element and the concha, it should be notedthat the retraction can be away from the tragus, away from the oppositeside of the concha from the tragus or both. Retraction in this contextmeans both a movement outwards as well as reducing the cross section ofthe hearing element, for instance by deflation of a cushioning elementor retraction of a gasket, optionally comprising flanges. The effect ofthis is to open for a passage around the parts occluding in the firstposition FIG. 8A and 8B shows a hearing unit in an un-occluded positionand in an occluded position respectively.

Adjusting between the first and the second position can be made withoutremoving the ear unit from the ear. One can envisage automatic positionchanges, for instance electromechanically, by inputs such as warningsounds or switching functionality between listening to music and makinga telephone call.

The anchor can take on many forms as long as it provides a stableanchoring in the ear without the need for ear canal attachment and stillremain within the scope of the invention. Such alternative anchors canbe based on prior art, such as over-head attachment, headband andover-ear attachment.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The invention according to the application finds use in ear attachedunits for holding a hearing element, and outer elements such as a sounddamping element.

1. A sub-tragus ear unit, comprising: an anchor, configured to providestable attachment of the ear unit relative to an ear; a hearing elementcomprising a transducer configured to provide sound, the hearing elementconnected to said anchor, wherein the hearing element is provided withan aperture, wherein when the ear unit is positioned into an ear havinga concha, a tragus, and an ear canal, the aperture is configured toenter a sub-tragus region, thus projecting the sound into the sub-tragusregion, the sub-tragus region being immediately within and part of theconcha which is at least partially covered by the tragus, wherein saidaperture faces the opening to the ear canal such that the sound isdirected into the ear canal, and wherein the anchoring function isseparate from the hearing element.
 2. The sub-tragus ear unit accordingto claim 1, wherein the anchor comprises a curve having an upper end, alower end and a curvature.
 3. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim1, wherein a housing is a mechanical interface between the anchor andthe hearing element.
 4. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1,wherein the hearing element has an outlet surface provided with aplurality of apertures.
 5. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1,wherein the hearing element is an electroacoustic element.
 6. Thesub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1, wherein the hearing element isprovided with an audio duct having an audio duct opening, wherein theaperture is said audio duct opening.
 7. The sub-tragus ear unitaccording to claim 1, further comprising a gasket for blocking externalsound.
 8. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1, furthercomprising an external sound damping element, wherein said sound dampingelement is attached to at least one of the anchor and a housing of theear unit.
 9. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1, furthercomprising a part extending downward in the direction of gravity whenstanding up.
 10. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1, whereinthe aperture is located entirely within the sub-tragus region.
 11. Thesub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1, further comprising a partextending downward in the direction of gravity when standing up.
 12. Thesub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1, wherein the sub-tragus regionis a portion of space that is swept out by the underside of a tragus asthe tragus is moved by a force is applied to the tip of the tragus in adirection toward the back of a concha.
 13. The sub-tragus ear unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the sub-tragus region is a volume of spacethat is swept out by a shape, pivoting at a fulcrum, toward the concha,wherein: the shape is defined as the portion of the inside of the traguswhich is not in contact with, or a portion of, the ear canal; and thefulcrum is a boundary between the shape and the opening of the earcanal.
 14. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 1, wherein thesub-tragus region is a volume of space that is swept out by a shape,pivoting at a fulcrum, toward the concha, wherein: the shape is definedas the portion of the inner surface of the tragus that is within 4 cm ofthe opening to the ear canal, and the fulcrum is a boundary between theshape and the opening of the ear canal.
 15. The sub-tragus ear unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the sub-tragus region is a volume of spacebetween the tragus and the back of the concha which is within 4 cm ofthe opening to the ear canal.
 16. The sub-tragus ear unit according toclaim 2, further comprising a part extending downward in the directionof gravity when standing up.
 17. The sub-tragus ear unit according toclaim 2, wherein the hearing element is an electroacoustic element. 18.The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 2, wherein the hearingelement is provided with an audio duct having an audio duct opening,wherein the aperture is said audio duct opening.
 19. The sub-tragus earunit according to claim 2, further comprising a gasket for blockingexternal sound.
 20. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 2,wherein a housing is a mechanical interface between the anchor and thehearing element.
 21. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 2,wherein the aperture is an opening by the hearing element and is anelectroacoustic element.
 22. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim2, further comprising an external sound damping element, wherein saidsound damping element is attached to at least one of the anchor and ahousing of the ear unit.
 23. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim3, further comprising a gasket for blocking external sound.
 24. Thesub-tragus ear unit according to claim 3, further comprising an externalsound damping element, wherein said sound damping element is attached toat least one of the anchor and a housing of the ear unit.
 25. Thesub-tragus ear unit according to claim 3, wherein the hearing element isprovided with an audio duct having an audio duct opening, wherein theaperture is said audio duct opening.
 26. The sub-tragus ear unitaccording to claim 4, wherein the ear unit is configured in such amanner that when the ear unit is positioned into the ear, a central axisnormal to the outlet surface of the hearing element extends to intersectthe ear canal.
 27. The sub-tragus ear unit according to claim 4, whereinan axis normal to a plane substantially containing a surface of theanchor contacting the concha when the ear unit is positioned into theear intersects a central axis normal to the outlet surface of thehearing element.